thecareerbeat.com Blog

Four-day work week gains steam

July 2, 2008 on 10:49 am | In benefits, polls, workplace issues | No Comments

Utah has become the first state to institute a mandatory four-day work week for state employees, according to a USA Today article.

“Most states have a four-day work week option for their employees, but Utah is the first to go to a mandatory four-day work week,” said Leslie Scott, executive director of the National Association of State Personnel Directors. “A good number of the states are encouraging their agencies and managers to offer a four-day work week whenever possible.”

The move is designed to save money and energy, and I suspect it will boost morale and possibly productivity. I know plenty of people who work in the private sector who long for this option!

Rising gas prices are making the four-day idea much more attractive across the board. Last week we asked Yahoo! HotJobs site visitors to weigh in on the issue, and here are the overwhelming results.

Q	Do you think you would be more productive if you had a four-day work week (40 hours)?
Yes	87%
No	13%
18625 Votes to date